


Bloodline

by BlueIntent



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-27 12:15:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14425215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueIntent/pseuds/BlueIntent
Summary: The Earps and Haughts struggle with the weight of family legacy as a new menace rises from the past that refuses to stay where it belongs.  As present and past fuse ominously together, can foes turned friends find a way to put it all back together.





	1. We draw at dawn

Sitting on the train, Nicole Haught glances nervously around the compartment, glad that she had found an empty one before the train filled up with students returning for the new school year. She can hear the noise of muffled conversation as other students greet each other after a summer apart. Huffing under her breath, Nicole mutters to herself.

“I can do this. I did it before. How hard can this be?”

But her voice trails off as her phone buzzes in her pocket. Pulling it out, she sees a message from her Aunt.

_[Aunt Eve] Remember, if you have any issues, go see Professor McGonagall. She’ll listen and resolve the situation._

Letting out a dry chuckle, Nicole taps out a quick confirmation reply and shoves the phone back into her pocket knowing full well she’ll never go to a Professor for assistance. Nicole Haught is no snitch.

The situation, as her Aunt had politely worded it, is complicated. Nicole knows it’s not unheard of for students to move between wizarding schools, but it was unusual. Magical forms of transportation and the fact wizarding schools were boarding schools made changing somewhat unnecessary and obsolete. But that was only half the story - Nicole was also a Haught, a name that that was whispered in fear in the Wizarding Community.

The Haught Family had always been on the wrong side of the law and were infamous at producing Dark Wizards – up there with the Malfoys, Abbotts and Rosimers. One of the Sacred Twenty-Eight – an English pureblood family, the Haughts had fallen into line with Voldemort during both Uprisings. They’d fought to the bitter end at immense cost. Nicole’s childhood had been filled with bitterness, rage, loneliness and fighting. But the things she remembers the most was the fear and running – both of which as a small child she couldn’t understand.

Until one day it was over and she went to live with her Aunt in Chicago.

Nicole’s previous school, Ilvermorny in Massachusetts, had been far enough from England that she’d had about as normal upbringing as a Haught could have. Voldemort’s reach hadn’t spread to America’s shores during the Second Wizarding War so the name Haught wasn’t treated with the same distaste and horror as it was in England. But Nicole knows that her time at Hogwarts would be more difficult than Ilvermorny. People of the Wizarding Community in England still remembered the War. They still mourned those lost.

Nicole hadn’t been bullied at Ilvermorny – she had been left alone, having acquaintances more than friends. Quidditch being her only outlet. People tolerated her which Nicole could live with, after all, she was a Haught.

“I don’t think we’ve met,” says a sweet voice causing Nicole to whip her head around to face the girl standing in her compartment doorway. She’s shorter than Nicole, with long light brown hair and a kind, open face that makes Nicole melt a little on the inside and a blushes to settle on her face.  The last thing Nicole needed to do was crush on the first Hogwart’s student she met.

“Dolls mentioned that there was a transfer. Hogwarts hasn’t had a transfer in years,” the girl continues, as she gestures at the spare seat for permission to sit. “Did you go to Ilvermorny or Beauxbatons?”

“Ilvermorny,” Nicole says as the girl sits across from her, holding out her hand in greeting.

“Waverly, Waverly Earp,” the girl adds as Nicole takes her hand.

“Earp…” Nicole stutters out in shock as she drops the girl’s hand as if burnt. Her Aunt hadn’t mentioned the Earps went to Hogwarts.  

“Yes, Earp,” Waverly responds, looking at Nicole strangely. “And no, not the Earp who has Peacemaker. That’s my older sister Wynonna. Are you ok? You look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

Nicole just stares at the girl with wide eyes. In retrospect, Nicole should have realised the Earps went to Hogwarts. They were English after all.

Jumping out of her seat, Nicole hits her head on the baggage rack above her. All that Nicole can think about doing is escaping for this suddenly suffocating environment. That she’s sharing with an Earp.

“Are you ok?” Waverly asks again, concerned about the redhead and now her actual head.

“I need to get changed,” Nicole says far too loudly for the small compartment, ignoring Waverly’s question entirely. Grabbing her backpack off the rack that just assaulted her, Nicole hightails it away from the Earp.

“Well, that was odd.” Waverly mutters to herself as she watches the redhead disappear from view. “I’m nice, I have a sash so I’m pretty sure it wasn’t me.”

 --

Slamming the toilet cubicle door behind her, Nicole slumps down as she tries to bring her breathing back under control as she fights down the need to vomit. Flashing through her mind are the headlines of the newspaper articles she’d read as a curious eleven year old in her first couple of weeks at Ilvermorny. Her Aunt had given her an abridged and what turned out a highly sanitized version of her family’s past but the Daily Prophet had filled in the gaps – the  ‘Voldemort followers go into hiding’, ‘Haught spotted in Godric’s Hollow on anniversary of Battle’, ‘Attack on the Earp Homestead’, followed by ‘Haught and Followers Arrested for Attack.’ These articles had then been followed by the trial and Azkaban sentences for those that survived.

Feeling slightly more collected, Nicole pulls her phone out of her pocket, and she types out.

_[Cole] The Earps go to Hogwarts. I’m going to die._

_[Aunt Eve] Stop being dramatic._

_[Cole] The Earps!_

_[Aunt Eve] It was this or home-schooling.  You’re not your family._

“Tell everyone else that,” Nicole mutters and she runs a hand through her hair. Deep down Nicole known her Aunt is right and they’ve had the same discussion countless times over the years. Nicole knows she is not defined by her last name but convincing everyone else that was a hard task.

Which brings Nicole back to the situation at hand – why she was now hiding in one of the bathrooms on the Hogwarts Express.

Something bad had happened over the summer break. Something that hadn’t made it into the Daily Prophet and no amount of pestering Aunt Eve would convince her to share whatever had her so concerned. But Nicole knew it had something to do with her Grandfather currently imprisoned in Azkaban.  Whatever had happened resulted in a lot of hushed conversations between her Aunt and people from the Auror Departments from both the Ministry of Magic and MACUSA. The end result was Nicole could either be home-schooled or transfer to Hogwarts. Ilvermorny was no longer an option. 

Nicole picked Hogwarts because there was still Quidditch – which she was excellent at if she was going to blow her own trumpet. She had been a Chaser for her house team, Wampus, who had been undefeated last year.

But she is starting to regret her decision to attend Hogwarts around about now.

_[Cole] I know, it’s just…_

_[Aunt Eve] I know. I love you._

Nicole knows that it’s true, because if anyone knows the weight of their last name it’s her Aunt Eve. Born into the Haught family that was ruled by Nicole’s Grandfather, Evanly Haught was a squib, a non-magical person who according to her family, tainted their pureness. Treated like she didn’t exist by her family, Nicole hadn’t known about her Father’s sister until she’d come and picked Nicole up after the arrests. Aunt Eve had made Nicole feel normal and loved.

Lost in thought about how to deal with this new situation, Nicole lets her mind wonder as the miles pass by on the Hogwarts Express.

Shaken from her thoughts, Nicole hears two new voices in the bathroom.

“Did you hear that there is a transfer this year?” a girl with a nasal voice says.

“Yeah, apparently it’s a Haught,” the second voice responds, almost breathlessly excited to share the news.

“I thought they were all dead or in Azkaban?”

“The youngest girl was just a kid when it happened.”

“Well, we know what house she’s going to be in.”

“Slytherin.” Both girls exclaim together as they dissolve into fits of giggles as if a funny joke had been told.

Nicole is adamant that it’s not.

“Slytherin.” Nicole mutters darkly under her breath as the two girls leave the bathroom. Of course she was going to be sorted into that damn House. As far as Nicole was aware, Haughts were always sorted into Slytherin. So much for not being defined by her last name.  

Realising that she can’t live in the train’s bathroom forever, Nicole pulls on her neutral robes and hopes that it helps her blend in to the crowd of students. Blend – that’s what she had done at Ilvermorny. So that’s what she would do at Hogwarts.

 --

Slowly opening the cubicle and then the bathroom door, Nicole begins to wander around the train. Walking through carriage after carriage, Nicole tries to find an empty place to sit.  Nicole can feel every students’ eyes on her, the conversations stop as she passes so she just keeps walking as she heads closer and closer to the end of the train.

Obviously her hopes of keeping a low profile has gone out the window. People know who she was. 

Her travels are interrupted by a loud call of “Haught!”

Nicole freezes and all other conversation in the carriage stops entirely. Nicole’s worst fears are coming true, she is currently the centre of attention. Turning, Nicole sees a group of students in Slytherin robes walking towards her.

“We’ve been looking for you,” the lead girl adds as she gets closer.

“Well, you’ve found me.” Nicole responds with a mirthless chuckle as she eyes the group cautiously.  Under their attention, Nicole finds herself crumpling in on herself, shoulders turning inwards, her hands twisting around her robes in nervousness.

“Alexis Rosier, Head Girl of Slytherin” the girl says holding out her hand which Nicole shakes limply. “We wanted to introduce ourselves.” Alexis quickly introduces the rest of her posse and then looks at Nicole expectantly.   

Nicole stares back silently.

“So, the Slytherin carriage is back that way, if you’d like to join us?”

“No thanks, I’m fine here,” preparing to drop down in a spare seat next to a younger student who is looking at Nicole with trepidation. 

Alexis is saved from responding as a third voice joins the conversation.

“Are you lost? This is the Gryffindor carriage.”

The voice causes Nicole to notice a second group of student have appeared over her shoulder. Numbering five people, Nicole notices Waverly standing next to a blonde girl at the back of the group. Nicole eyes run over Waverly’s face looking for the signs of anger and hatred.

Instead, Waverly lifts her hand and gives the redhead a small wave.

“Earp.” Alexis says with scorn. The name causes Nicole to glance down at the brunette’s waist to see her famous wand, Peacemaker. That wand and its owners over the years has filled many cells in Azkaban. “I doubt you’ve met our new transfer, but allow me to introduce you to Nicole Haught. I do believe her Grandfather killed your Father.”

At this inflammatory introduction, Nicole eyes open in panic and she completely spins around to face Wynonna Earp, expecting to be hexed any second. Instead, Wynonna looks back at her with disinterest before quickly shifting her attention back to Alexis.

“And I do believe you are a dick. But hey, you were a dick last year. So why start this year different? Be consistent,” Wynonna responds nonchalantly causing the blonde girl standing next to Waverly to snort with laughter.

The Slytherin group shuffle restlessly, not sure how to react. It’s too public for wands to be drawn.   

“Filthy Mudblood. She should know her place.” Alexis mutters in the direction of the blonde, just loud enough for Nicole to hear. At the derogative word, something snaps inside Nicole as she re-joins the conversation.

“Do not say that word!” Nicole growls.

“What, Mudblood?” Alexis asks confused.

“Yes.”

“But she is,” Alexis responds, not understanding Nicole’s issue. “Impure, dirty blood.” She adds with scorn.  

Nicole’s fist moves before her brain catches up. Her fist collides solidly with Alexis’s nose causing it to break and the older girl stumbles backwards and drops to her knees. Before, Nicole can even think about reacting, she feels two arms wrap around her and she’s pulled back away from Alexis.

“Don’t make it worse,” Wynonna mutters into her ear. Nicole looks down at Alexis, not sure who is more surprised at this turn of events – her or the bleeding girl.

“What is going on here?” Professor Jinn angrily exclaims, causing all eyes to swing and face him standing at the entrance on the cart. “Earp, are you fighting? Already?”

“No, sir it was me.” Nicole says as she regains her voice. Nicole shakes Wynonna’s arms off her and steps forward as Alexis is still trying to halt the bleeding.  

“And you are?” The Professor asks, not recognising the student in front of him.

“Nicole, ah… Haught,” causing the Professor to raise his eyebrows at who the new student had hit. A Haught hit a Rosier - this was going to cause quite a stir – both amongst the students and the staff.

Professor Jinn surveys the scene in front of him – Gryffindor and Slytherin students squaring off in front of each other. A tinderbox waiting to explode.

“Alright, well Earp - take Haught and sit with her in my compartment until we arrive at Hogwarts. No doubt you remember where it is from last year when I caught you with the Holliday boy.”

“But, sir” Wynonna starts.

“Now Earp,” the Professor responds, brokering no further discussion. “I shall remain with Miss Rosier and stop the bleeding until she can be sent to the Infirmary. Until Haught is sorted, I don’t know which Head to send her to for punishment.”

Huffing under her breath, Wynonna grabs Nicole’s robes and drags her away. Nicole follows willingly as she’s not sure what else to do but she’s also certain she’s still going to be hexed. The words “killed your Father” ring in her head.

 --

Slumping on the seat in the Professor’s compartment, Nicole wonders if she’s going to be physically ill. So much for blending in.

“Haught-damn. You punched her.” Wynonna says in admiration as she fills the silence in the compartment.

“She…I” Nicole starts to respond, not sure how to explain herself. Nicole didn’t even know the girl she’d defended. But she hated the prejudice. She hated the assumptions. “Wait, did you just make a pun from my last name?”

“I may have.”

“Bold, Earp.” Nicole responds, a small smile escaping. “She said…”

“I heard what she said. But you punched her. You have a wand.”

“My Aunt says violence is never the answer.”

“You punched her.” Wynonna says more slowly.

“I know, my Aunt is going to kill me.” Nicole moans as she drops her head to her hands, wanting to be left alone to fret in her misery. “You don’t have to stay with me. I’m no snitch.”

“I’ll stay. Professor Jinn is one of the good ones. And besides you’ll need support if one of her cronies comes seeking payback.”

“I’m a Haught. They’re not coming back.”

“Haught-headed more like it.”

“You of all people shouldn’t be defending me. There is nothing that I hate more than pretenders. Hex me, do something. Be an Earp. He killed your Father,” Nicole ends the sentence in a harsh whisper.

Wynonna asks confused, “Do you want me to hex you? I mean I can if you want, but that’s a little odd.”

“Well, no.”

The silence between the two is deafening for several minutes as both girls studiously avoid looking at each other. ‘You’re not your Grandfather,” Wynonna mutters. “And I’m not my Father. And you punched Rosier, something I have wanted to do for years.” Wynonna adds with a hint of glee.

“Oh, ok then,” Nicole says as she glances up again. Nicole knows that the change in conversation indicates that Wynonna doesn’t want to talk about the past any further.

“But boy did you just make your life difficult Haught-Stuff.”

Nicole looks at Wynonna questioningly. “She’s the Head Girl of Slytherin. And well, Haughts, aren’t they always in Slytherin?” The response causes Nicole to let out another groan as she hasn't even made it to Hogwarts and she’s already gotten into a fight with a (and most likely her) Head Girl. “Although, maybe not. I mean Waverly’s not.”

“Waverly’s not in Slytherin?” Nicole questions, not following the conversation.

“No, Gryffindor. Earps have been in been in Gryffindor for generations. But Waverly – she’s in Ravenclaw. The little nerd.” Wynonna says with affection. “So maybe you won’t be in Slytherin. Isn’t Slytherin supposed to include self-preservation and there wasn’t a lot of that back there. Word of advice - try and get into fights with less witnesses. Although Rosier face.”

Wynonna breaks into another round of laughing.

Nicole mutters a curse under her breath and drops her head back into her hands. She doesn’t notice Wynonna looking at her with curiosity as they pull into the Hogwart’s Station at Hogsmeade.

 

 


	2. Living Down

Exiting the train, Nicole falls into step behind Wynonna, having no better idea. Moving with the throng of students, Nicole sees that they are heading towards a line of carriages being pulled by nothing.

“Technically you’re a first year. You’re supposed to go across the Black Lake.”

“I’m not a first year,” Nicole replies to Wynonna’s back as they arrive at an empty carriage near the back of the line. Wynonna stops at the front of the carriage reaching her hand into empty space, turning to look at Nicole.

“You can’t see them?”

“See what?” Nicole asks, confused at the question. Wynonna is currently patting empty space.

“Never mind,” Wynonna says quietly, as she gently stokes the Thestral leading the carriage – a magical beast only visible when one has seen death. “Get in, no doubt McGonagall will be waiting for you up at the Castle. Word of your _indiscretion_ would have reached her by now.”

A silent carriage trip follows with Nicole studiously staring out of the window, Wynonna looking at the transfer student thoughtfully.

Stepping out of the carriage, Nicole earns herself an elbow in the side as Wynonna points up at the Professor no doubt waiting for her.

“Earp, Haught, follow me.”

“You’re in for it now.” Wynonna mutters as they follow after the Professor, “And somehow I got dragged along for a ride.”

Nicole apologises.

Wynonna waves the apology away with, “This is a record for me. In trouble before the school year is even started.”

Nicole is slightly concerned that Wynonna seems proud of this achievement.

Entering the Castle, Professor McGonagall leads them into a small alcove for privacy. As the older woman looks down at the two students in front of her – one staring defiantly back and the second looking down at her shoes, she feels like she is looking at two sides of a war that is still not truly over.

“Earp, I’m not surprised. But Haught, you haven’t even be sorted.” Professor McGonagall says exasperatedly.

“She had nothing to do with it.” Nicole hotly exclaims. “Leave her out of it.” Adding “Professor” as an afterthought.

“We’re both at fault, I provoke Rosimer,” Wynonna adds.

“That’s not…”

McGonagall holds up her hand for silence as Nicole attempts to respond.

“Since the school year had not technically started, you’re punishments are limited to a detention with Professor Nedley on Friday.”

“But Professor, Wynonna wasn’t,” Nicole starts again.

“That will be all Haught. Now follow me to the Great Hall, I don’t want to be any later than we already are.”

The two girls fall into step behind the Headmaster, Nicole muttering another apology to Wynonna.

\--

Stepping into the Great Hall, Nicole glances around at the enchanted ceiling, the tables filled with students as she follows Professor McGonagall towards the front of the Hall. Wynonna quickly peels off and heads towards what Nicole assumes is the Gryffindor table.

“A hat? You’re sorted by a hat?” Nicole mumbles under her breath when she notices what’s ahead.

“We can’t all be by a set of fence posts,” causing Nicole head to shoot up and see a grin on the older woman’s face as she pokes fun at Ilvermorny’s sorting tradition. “Stay here until your name is called.”

McGonagall leaves her and joins the staff table. Nicole can feel the eyes of the hall on her, which she tries to ignore as she tries to make sense of the Hogwart’s sorting tradition. It appears that a Hat is dropped on the student’s head and then it yells out a House. Seems simple enough.

“Haught, Nicole” is soon announced by the Deputy Headmaster and Nicole stumbles forward. She can hear the whispers. Sitting on the chair, the Hat is unceremoniously dropped on her head.

_“Ah… a Haught. This is a surprise.”_

The Hat talks inside her head.

_“Of course I talk, how else did you think we were going to converse?”_

Nicole sits still and silent as she’s not sure what else to do as the Sorting Hat probed her characteristics, her wants, her desires.

_“You’re courageous and daring, yes. Incredibly so – to a fault some would say. But you are ambitious, want to right the wrongs of the world, not just those related to your name.  Your thirst for knowledge knows no bounds. Hum, this is hard, each is equal. I think I shall let you choose.”_

“Let me choose?” Nicole asks, unsure what is happening. This didn’t happen at Ilvermorny.

_“Yes, Gryffindor for the nerve and bravery. Or Ravenclaw for the intelligence and wit. Or continue the legacy of Haught in Slytherin with ambition and resourcefulness.”_

“Not Slytherin,” Nicole thinks.

_“Ah, so not Slytherin then. You would do so well there. But, that leaves two.”_

So Nicole deliberates - Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. “Gryffindor I guess.”

_“You guess? To choose a House will set you on a path that may not have the result you seek.”_

“Gryffindor” Nicole thinks more firmly, no better way to say f-you to the Haught Legacy then to voluntarily join the mortal enemy.

“GRYFFINDOR” the Sorting Hat yells, not giving Nicole time to change her mind. The Deputy Headmaster takes the Sorting Hat back off her head. Blinded by the sudden brightness of the Great Hall, Nicole stumbles in the general direction of the Gryffindor table. But instead of the usual cheers and clapping – there is silence throughout the Hall.

No one knows how to react. A Haught not placed into Slytherin has left the entire school stunned.   

It’s one of the boys who was with Wynonna who saves Nicole from her own personal hell of attention. He stands up and grabs Nicole and drags her back to where he had been sitting and unceremoniously dumps her in the seat across from Wynonna.

Nicole turns back to face the Slytherin table and sees Alexis Rosier. She’s glaring at Nicole, her eyes furious and her lips pushed together in a firm line, her nose still slightly bruised.  

“I’m going to die,” Nicole mutters and she drops her head to her hands.

“Are you always this dramatic?” Wynonna asks.

“Just on days ending in y” causing the boy and Wynonna to chuckle.

The rest of sorting passes quickly, Professor McGonagall gives a speech about school unity and the plates fill with food. As Nicole serves herself some food, her saviour introduces himself.

“My apologises for not introducing myself sooner, my name is John Henry. But you may call me Doc.”

“Nicole, generally called Cole.” Nicole replies, taking the offered hand.

Shortly after, Wynonna and Doc stand, calling back for Nicole to follow. Not knowing, what else to do Nicole falls into step behind them silently listen to the two discuss professors that mean nothing to Nicole.

The two in front lead her towards what Nicole assumes is the Gryffindor Common Room. Nicole uses the time to try and wrap her head around the situation that she’s not in Slytherin, she’s met not one, but two Earps and she hadn’t been hexed by either.

Hogwarts is confusing she huffs to herself.  

“Caput Draconis.”

Stepping through a portrait that has swung open, Wynonna asks Nicole what year she’s in.

“Fifth.”

“Oh, same as me. Doc and Dolls are Sixth. Waverly is in Fourth. Come on, I’ll show you where your bed is.” Wynonna says as if her behaviour is the most normal thing in the world.

Nicole pulls her phone out of her pocket, and sees a number of messages from her Aunt.

“Merlin’s beard, owls are faster than I thought.”

Wynonna looks back at Nicole, sees her scrolling through her phone. Her Aunt had already received a letter detailing her crime and was not impressed. There was an insistence that she apologise to Alexis at the earliest opportunity. 

“How does that thing work here anyway? I thought magic interferes with Muggle technology?”

“Oh, it does. I go through a scary number of phones.”

Wynonna just looks at her, waiting for her to elaborate.

“It’s the phone case. Keeps out the worst of the magic. It’ll stop working if I perform magic while holding the phone. But for the most part, it works.” 

‘So no Howler for you then?” The magical letters were very efficient at communicating the writer’s displeasure.

“What? No.”

“Pity.”

“Wait, are you going to get a Howler?”

“Probably not. Riling up Rosier isn’t really Howler worthy,” replies Wynonna as she flops down on her bed. “Aunt Gus will write me a stern letter but that will be the end of it.”

Howler worthy, Nicole mouths to herself. She’s not sure if she should be concerned that Wynonna has a level of trouble classified as Howler worthy.

\--

For the next couple of days, Nicole slowly starts to find her feet at Hogwarts. She goes to classes and spends much of her free time in a secluded corner of the library. From previous experience, Nicole knows that it’s better to stay away from populated areas - minimise the awkwardness at all costs. With her sleeves rolled up, Nicole is getting ahead in Potions, her least favourite subject.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding,” Waverly says as she pulls out the free seat next to Nicole. “Everyone has been wondering where you’ve been going.” Nicole raises her eyebrow at the word everyone. “Well, I’ve been wondering where you go,” she amends.

Waverly had made a habit spending her time with the transfer student – when she could find Nicole that is.  Waverly had taken to eating meals with her, walking to classes with her, generally just being nice. The behaviour had left Nicole confused. People aren’t nice to Haughts.

“Just hanging out in the library,” Nicole casually replies as Waverly pulls out her own schoolbooks.

“Probably should have been sorted into Ravenclaw,” Waverly says with a smile. “You missed lunch.”

“Oh, I’m not hungry,” Nicole lies as a stomach does an excellent impression of a whale call.

Waverly just raises one eyebrow and pulls out a couple of buns from her bag and hands them to Nicole.

“Thanks.”

Waverly knows the reason why Nicole didn’t go to lunch. She hears the whispers, see the looks. Wynonna gets them too. But her sister had the devil-may-care attitude and flips off the ignorant students. 

Nicole does the opposite – she hides.

“So it is true,” Waverly says as she looks down at Nicole’s forearm. Nicole follows Waverly’s line of sight and sees that the bottom portion of her tattoo is visible. A tattoo that was tied to her last name – all Haughts by the age of thirteen developed a series of runes on their right arm.

 “I thought it might be a myth,” Waverly adds.

“No, not a myth.” Nicole’s breathe catches in her throat and she feels a blush develop on her cheeks, as Waverly lightly traces the intricate design on her skin. As if suddenly realising what she’s doing, Waverly removes her hand.

“Sorry, it’s probably personal to you.”

“No, it’s fine. It usually revolts people when they see it. Reminds them of the Dark Mark.” Nicole is amazed at how soft Waverly’s touch had been.

“It’s not Dark Magic,” Waverly replies exasperatedly. “It’s Old Magic. Some people are so narrow minded.”

It’s this Waverly that makes Nicole forget that she’s a Haught and Waverly is an Earp. It’s normal. Nicole can see that Waverly is holding back a question as the younger girl opens and then closes her mouth. “You can ask whatever you want.”

The words just tumble out of Waverly’s mouth, “Are the constant? The same runes all the time?”

“No, I have six at the moment. I had one of my original protection ruins be replaced by another. For about eighteen months, I only had two plus the Haught Crest.”

“Next year, I’m going to take Ancient Runes next year.”

Nicole nods, happy to just listen to Waverly.

“Has it ever been examined? I read a study the Ministry put out about runes which says that it’s an ever changing language.”

“The Haughts aren’t big fans of Ministry,” Nicole drily replies.

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

Nicole immediately regrets her words. Hating the downcast look Waverly gets, Nicole continues to talk about the (little) history she does know about the tattoo. Waverly asks a couple more question, most of which Nicole can’t answer because she’s never taken an interest in the runes that appear and then disappear from her skin. The interest from Waverly sparks something in Nicole that she desperately tries to quash – attachment. She likes Waverly.

“So I hear that you have detention with Wynonna.”

“Don’t remind me. Who manages to get detention before the start of the school?”

“You and Wynonna,” Waverly replies biting her lip to hold in her smile. Groaning slightly, the two students turn back to their books, a comfortable silence developing between them.

\--

Friday afternoon comes way too soon for Nicole’s liking with her and Wynonna heading towards Professor Nedley’s office after their final period.

“There has been a request from the Gamekeeper to de-gnome the vegetable patch.”

“This is slave labour!” Wynonna exclaims, complaining for the sake of complaining.

“If you put as less time and effort into your pranks and troublemaking, you would spend a lot less time in detention. Cause and effect.”

Nicole feels slightly guilty that Wynonna got dragged into her detention and apologises to Wynonna (again) when they reach the patch.

“Don’t sweat it Haught-head. Detention is my jam.”

The two girls settle into a routine as they move methodically through the patch, throwing out any gnomes they find.

It’s Wynonna that brings it up.

Nicole’s not the only person that gets gossiped about.

“I guess you’ve heard the rumours.”

Nicole doesn’t respond. She’s not sure how.

“He didn’t do it, I did.”

“What?”

Wynonna turns to face her.

“Didn’t you even wonder why your Grandfather was never tried for my Father’s death?”

“I figured they had enough without adding that to the long list of his crimes.”

“They were dragging him away. Peacemaker was lying on floor as he’d been disarmed. I was nine and yelled Expluso.” As she’s talking, Wynonna picks up another gnome, hurling it over the fence.  “Obviously my aim was terrible.”

The gnome Nicole is holding latches onto her thumb causing her to curse.

“You were just a kid,” Nicole says, once she’s de-latched the gnome from her hand.

“And so were you,” Wynonna fires back. “You had nothing to do with it.”

“My family…”

“Is not you. You expect to be an outcast so you are one. You have to figure out how to forgive yourself.”

“And have you?”

“I’ve learnt to live with myself.”

“That’s…”

“It’s enough.” Wynonna adds the afterthought of “The whiskey helps.”

And that’s how Waverly finds them just before curfew. Nicole and Wynonna holed up in an empty classroom passing a half empty bottle of firewhiskey between them. The two Gryffindors have animated a balled up piece of parchment and are playing some game that obviously has flexible rules as Wynonna has just decreed she has a penalty much to the indignation of the redhead.

Not wanting her sister and her new best friend to get another detention, Waverly takes it upon herself to get them back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

Turns out it would be easier to herd cats.

Wynonna has taken to loudly greeting each portrait along the way.

While Nicole is, well, handsy when she was drunk.

The one time Waverly dropped her hand on the walk back, Nicole had lagged behind on a staircase pouting. The staircase had then moved depositing Nicole on a different floor. Waverly (dragging Wynonna) had had to backtrack to corral Nicole.

Waverly has never been so happy to see the portrait of the Fat Lady.

“What’s the password?” Waverly asks as she keeps a firm grip of Nicole’s hand. Waverly tells herself it’s to stop her wandering off again.

“Flibbertigibbet” Wynonna exclaims, too loudly for after curfew.

Waverly furiously shooshes Wynonna as Nicole drops her hand and slumps down at the foot of the portrait. “My head hurts.”

“Should have thought of that before drinking with my sister,” Waverly says without a hint of sympathy. Seeing the slight tinge of green to her cheeks, Waverly kneels down to her level, “Sweetie, I need to know the password.”

“You’re pretty.”

“Ah, thanks. Still going to need to the password.” Waverly says, blushing slightly.

“Your smile is like sunshine.”

Waverly is suddenly very glad that Wynonna is happily conversing with a suit of armour several feet away.

“Nicole, please focus. The password.”

Nicole’s face screws up adorably as she tries to remember what the password is. “Caput something.”

Waverly rattles off “Caput Medusa, Caput Mundi, Caput Draconis…”

The portrait swings open.

“Thank Merlin,” Waverly mutters as she pulls Nicole off the floor. “Alright Romeo, time for bed.”

“Together?” Nicole asks, causing Waverly to stumble slightly. Grabbing Wynonna, Waverly pushes her sister through the portrait. Nicole clearly has a lot more confidence when alcohol takes off the edge.

“Ado fair knight, I shall return.”

 “You’re hands are soft.” Nicole says, as she traces a pattern on Waverly’s hand.

Pushing Wynonna and pulling Nicole, Waverly is very glad that the staircase up to the dorm room is dark so the blush isn’t visible.

Wynonna flops spreadeagle down on her bed.

Nicole collapses on hers, kicking off her shoes.

Waverly awkwardly stands at the foot of Wynonna’s bed. She can’t go back to her bed in the Ravenclaw dorms as they are on the west side of the Castle and she’ll no doubt run into a Prefect or Professor on the five minute walk.

Then it will be the Good Samaritan with the detention.   

She tries to shift Wynonna to one side of her bed.

“Waves,” Wynonna groans. “Go bunk with Nicole.”

Waverly looks over a Nicole who has managed to get her tie tangled half on – half off her head. It’s either Nicole’s bed or a sofa in the Common Room. Walking over to Nicole, Waverly pulls the tie off.

“Undressing…”

“Don’t” Waverly says, holding her hand over Nicole’s mouth. “If you want to say something,” gesturing between the two of them, “the least you can be is sober.”

The comment seems to deflate Nicole’s sails as she moves over to one side of the bed.

“But you won’t remember,” Waverly says, more to herself than to her bed companion.


End file.
